Are you one of the Ghibli fans waiting anxiously for “Ni No kuni: Wrath of the White Witch?” It’s a PS3 exclusive video game released in Japan last November and scheduled for a Western release in January 2013. A collaboration between anime film makers Studio Ghibli and the creators of “Dragon Quest V,” the game has Ghibli’s fingerprints all over the charming animation. The Western version will be published by Namco Bandai Games and will include both English and Japanese voice tracks. The best news?A Namco representative told Digital Trends, “The Western release of ‘Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch’ will include all the content found in the newly announced ‘Ni no Kuni: All-in-One Edition for Japan.’ ”The story follows a boy named Oliver who, saddened by the death of his mother, is visited by a fairy named Drippy who tells him how to bring her back to life. The creature speaks of another world existing within our own, and says that every being on earth has a soul twin in the other dimension. Are the Japanese and English versions each other’s soul twins, then? Check out the trailer and decide for yourself.

On Sunday May 6th, the final day of the Golden Week holiday period, one of the biggest tornados that hit Japan so far created considerable destruction over a stretch of 9 kilometers, starting near Yoshinuma district. The tornado ripped houses off their foundations, tore out roofs, and turned vehicles upside down. Houjou district was the most affected by the tornado. Two days after the tornado hit, I went to Houjou district to take photos and help as a volunteer when I learned that the recovery work has began on Monday and that more volunteers were coming to Tsukuba from Kanto area.